Jason Allison
| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | career_start = 1993 | career_end = 2006 | current_team = Toronto Maple Leafs | draft = 17th overall | draft_year = 1993 | draft_team = Washington Capitals | image = JAllison.jpg | image_size = 166px }} Jason Allison (born Jason Paul Allison on May 29, 1975) is a former professional ice hockey centre who played 552 games in the National Hockey League (NHL). His most productive seasons were with the Boston Bruins where he briefly served as team captain. Playing Career Jason played AAA Hockey with the Toronto Red Wings Hockey Club. He was drafted 17th overall in the NHL Entry Draft] by the Washington Capitals amidst a stellar junior career for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). He played parts of two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings where, for a brief time, he teamed with former stars Zigmund Palffy and Adam Deadmarsh. Jason has also played for the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals. His best season was 2000–01 when he had 95 points. He has played 552 games in his career, racking up 154 goals and 331 assists for 485 points. He also has 25 points in 25 career playoff games. Jason missed most of the 2002–03 season and all of the following season because of a neck injury and concussion. Prior to the 2005–06 season, he signed a one-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs worth $1.5 million with bonus incentives for good performance. Jason suffered a hand injury in a game against the Montreal Canadiens, and had to have surgery on his hand which sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In the 66 games, he played in before the injury, he scored 17 goals and had 60 points for the Maple Leafs. After the 2005–06 season, Jason became an unrestricted free agent. Toronto chose not to re-sign him because new head coach Paul Maurice and GM John Ferguson, Jr. did not feel he would be a proper fit for their new, young, fast-paced team. He subsequently did not sign with a team for the 2006–07 NHL season, despite rumours of multiple contract offers. During his retirement, Jason operated a horse farm north of Toronto. On August 28, 2009, he received an invitation to the Toronto Maple Leafs September 2009 Training Camp and trained with them through the beginning of the preseason. Jason had not played professionally since 2005–06. In explaining the invitation, Brian Burke the general manager of the Maple Leafs, said: "He had some personal issues and some major physical issues at that time. He has solved all of those. In my mind, he is a guy who might give us a lift and he deserves that opportunity." In an interview after his first exhibition game back, Jason was as confident as ever. "I didn't contribute much, but that's to be expected, I'm just shaking the cobwebs off. I fully anticipate regaining my previous form as a point per game player," he said. Jason's bid to make the team on a tryout ended up falling short. The training invite yielded a memorable moment when he fought with the Philadelphia Flyers' Darroll Powe during an exhibition game and ripped his helmet in half with his bare hands. However, it wasn't enough and by September 28, 2009, Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson confessed that Jason was "out of the plans." Career Statistics International Statistics Awards & Achievements OHL Awards *CHL First All-Star Team (1994) *CHL Player of the Year (1994) *CHL Top Scorer Award (1994) *OHL First All-Star Team (1994) *Red Tilson Trophy (1994) *Eddie Powers Trophy (1994) *William Hanley Trophy (1994) NHL Awards *All-Star Game (2001) International Play }} Category:1975 births Category:Washington Capitals draft picks Category:Washington Capitals players Category:Boston Bruins players Category:Los Angeles Kings players Category:Toronto Maple Leafs players Category:Portland Pirates players Category:London Knights alumni Category:Canadian ice hockey players